Enzyme inhibition-based biosensors and biosensing systems: questionable analytical devices

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Analytical Chemistry
• Biosensor Technology

Background:

• Enzyme inhibition is a key mechanism in many biosensing applications.
• Biosensors and biosensing systems are widely used for detecting various analytes.
• Understanding the selectivity of these systems is crucial for accurate analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide an overview of enzyme inhibition-based biosensing methods.
• To highlight the non-selective nature of the inhibition effect in these devices.
• To alert users about potential misinterpretations of data from enzyme inhibition biosensors.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on enzyme inhibition biosensors.
• Analysis of continuous and discontinuous biosensing system approaches.
• Compilation of tables and examples to illustrate key concepts.

Main Results:

• Enzyme inhibition-based biosensors and biosensing systems were examined.
• The non-selective nature of the inhibition effect was demonstrated, even with selective biocatalysts.
• Examples illustrated how non-selectivity can impact analytical outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Users of enzyme inhibition biosensors must be aware of the inherent lack of selectivity in the inhibition mechanism.
• Careful consideration of potential interfering substances is necessary when interpreting results.
• Further research may be needed to develop more selective inhibition-based detection strategies.